Poultry-decapitator.



F. R. HOGAN. POULTRY DECAPITATOR.

APPLICATIbN FILED MAY 25. I915.

Patented Aug. 10, 1915;

.20% h wow COLUMBIA I'LANOGRAPH C0,.WA5HENGTON. D-C.

FRANK R. HOGAN, OF VERONA, PENNSYLVANIA.

POULTRY-DECAPITATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

Application filed May 25, 1915. Serial No. 30,378.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK R. IIOGAN, acitizen of the United States, residing at Verona, in the county ofAllegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Poultry-Decapitators; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

This invention is an improved poultry decapitator the object of theinvention being to provide an improved device of this kind which issimple in construction, is strong and durable, is not likely to get outof order and by means of which a chicken or other fowl may be instantlyand humanely decapitated.

The invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangementof devices hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinalcentral sectional view of a poultry decapitatorconstructed in accordancewith my invention, showing the same with the operating arm raised. Fig.2 is a horizontal sectional view of the same on the plane indicated bythe line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view ofthe same. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view of the joint betweenthe baseand the arm. Fig. 5 is a detail plan of the arm and pedal. Fig. 6 is adetail section of the shackle.

In the embodiment of my invention 1 provide a base 1 which narrowstoward one end and is unturned at said end as at 2 and provided with aslot 3. Atthe broadened end of the base is an upstanding stock 4 whichis provided with a substantially l-shaped notch 5 for the reception ofthe neck of the fowl, the lower end of said notch being rounded as at 6to fit the neck. On the outer side of the stock at a point at the levelof the lower end of the notch is an outwardly extending substantiallyhorizontal ledger flange 7 whichis provided with a slot 8. On. the innerside of the stock is a shackle 9 which is substantially U-shaped and inpractice is made of steel wire of suitable gage, the said shackle havinga substantially semi-circular lower portion 10 and having the upper endsof its arms 11 outstanding spindles 12 which are mounted in bearings 13near the upper corners of the stock. Coiled springs 14 are arranged onsaid spindles and exert their tension to normally close the stockagainst the inner side of the yoke so that after the stock has beenraised and a fowls neck has been placed in the notch the stock whenreleased will turn to a substantially vertical position and cause itsrounded lower end 10 to bear on the fowls neck, behind the head and holdthe neck of the fowl firmly in the notch and across the ledger flange 7and its slot 8. I also provide an arm 14 one end of which is pivotallymounted in the slot 3 by means of a bolt 15 which is here shown asprovided with a winged nut 16. At the pivotal end of the arm is adownwardly extending stop 17 which coacts with the bottom of the slot 3to limit the upward movement of the arm, as will be understood. Said armis provided on its under side near its outer end with a transverseflange 18 on the outer side of which the upper end of a blade 19 issecured as by means of screws 20 and the said knife is arranged to passthrough the slot 8 when the arm 1a is depressed and is provided at itslower side with an inverted V-shaped notch 21 the sides of which formbeveled cutting edges 22. On the upper side of the arm is a pedal 23.

A spring 24 is provided which is arcuate in form and has its lower endsecured by screws 25 in a recess 26 in the upper side of the base. Theupper end of the spring bears under the arm 14, said spring serving toraise said arm to ether with the blade or knife. It will be understoodthat after a fowls neck has been secured in the stock notch and acrossthe ledger flange as hereinbefore described, downward pressure with thefoot on the arm 14 will cause the blade to descend and instantlydecapitate the fowl, making a clean cut, and killing the fowl humanely.7

Having thus described my invention, I claim A poultry decapitatorcomprising a base having a stock, a ledger element and a shackle, an armpivotally connected to the base for Vertical movement, a spring to raiseIn testimony whereof I aflix my signature the arm, and a blade earned bythe arm and 1n presence of tWo Witnesses. adapted to coact With theledger element,

T said stock having a substantially V-shaped FRAA K HOGAN notch and saidblade having an inverted l/Vitnesses:

V-shaped notch in its lower side presenting A. L. SHULTZ,

upwardly converging cutting edges. JOHN S. WOLFE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patent Washington, D. G.

